Page 28 of Fractured Hearts

I sigh and squeeze my eyes shut.

“Yeah, yeah. Big sighs from a big, angry boy.”

“Jasper,” I groan. He chuckles like the little shit he is.

“Yes, Daddy?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake. I’m hanging up.”

“I’m kidding! Tell me what’s going on with you that you went dark.” Jasper’s tone is more subdued. He knows me well enough to know I wouldn’t disappear without telling him for no reason. It’s something that I always found to be a luxury in my friendship with him that I didn’t get to have with everyone else.

I sigh again but unload everything onto my friend. The last time we spoke was right before I went to meet up with everyone at Jason’s house. I leave out the stab wound in my leg that’s still healing. I took the stitches out myself yesterday. Jo glared at me the entire time after I declined her suggestion to go into town and have Darren do it.

“So you’re stuck with the woman Maverick left you for? You can always come back to Nashville. We can pick up where we left off,” Jasper teases.

“You couldn’t handle me,” I tease right back. Being able to get everything off my chest has me feeling lighter. Jasper and I were never anything but friends. There was a short period of time where he admitted to having a crush on me, but quickly realized that I only had feelings for one person and that he probably only had a crush on me because I was the only gay man he knew.

“You’re not wrong there, Ezzy baby.”

“What do I do, Jas? I haven’t felt this stuck and helpless in a long ass time.” Being vulnerable with Jasper has always been easy. He never once judged me, and that’s something I’ll always be grateful to him for.

“Your dad is still saying he has no way to contact Kai?”

I groan, leaning back in the Adirondack chair. “That’s what he’s saying, but there’s no way he doesn’t know where Kai is. He may have been my shadow all these years, but he’s had eyes on Kai, too. Plus, he was very calm when we talked yesterday.”

“I hate to say it because it isn’t immediately helpful to you, but you should be patient. Gavin is always at least two steps ahead. I’m convinced he has one of those brain zapper things that makes people forget aliens exist.”

I snort. “He keeps it in his sock drawer.”

“I knew it!”

“This fucking sucks,” I say, sobering again. “Maverick was right there. Literally within my reach, and now he’s gone.”

“I know, Ez. This thing is coming to a head. It’ll be over soon, and then you and Maverick can ride off into the sunset.”

“Unlikely, considering the perfect blonde bombshell living in my house,” I complain.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you have a thing for her, too.”

I scoff, which just makes Jasper laugh.

“I have to get to practice. Try being nice.”

“I don’t want to.”

Jasper laughs harder. “Love you, Ezzy baby. Talk soon!” Then he’s gone.

I stare out at the horizon long enough for the sun to fully rise and my empty stomach to become impossible to ignore. I’m just about to stand up when I hear the sliding of the glass door opening.

“I made you this,” Jo says, handing me something green in a glass. “I’m really sorry about your face.”

“Don’t be. I need to learn to stop scaring you.” I take a sip of my drink and almost spit it out. It’s only the hopeful look on her face that makes me swallow it past every urge to gag. “Good,” I choke out.

“I’m glad. I wasn’t sure—Maverick—well, he’s the one that always made the protein shakes at home,” she says, looking a little guilty. I’m hoping it’s because she knows her being with Maverick is a sore spot, and not that she poisoned me. I nod, afraid that if I open my mouth to speak, the shake will come right back up, and chug the rest, hating the slimy way it feels going down my throat.

“Thanks for that,” I say when I’m mostly sure everything is going to stay put.

“Of course,” she says, taking the glass from my hand and turning to the door.